It is well recognised that community learning can bring both direct and wider social benefits for learners, their families and communities. However, the reformed system for publicly funded community learning means that many providers will need to strengthen the mechanisms they have in place for demonstrating the impact of their work. Under the new Funding Rules, providers are required to show how their work contributes to the social and economic well-being of individuals, families and communities. The outcomes that are set by each local community learning network must be both measurable and capable of being evaluated by communities and other stakeholders. At the stages of planning, delivering and evaluating learning, providers need to pay attention to the outcomes their provision achieves and the social value it creates.
There are also sound operational reasons for focusing on the wider social outcomes of learning and the social value that it generates. It can help with internal planning and quality improvement. It can also put providers in a stronger position to develop new local partnerships and access funding opportunities, by providing evidence to demonstrate the range of ways in which learning contributes to wider policy agendas such as health, families, employability and crime prevention.
The resources in this section include:
This report sets out findings from the evaluation of pilots of Community Based English Language (CBEL) provision, a randomised control trial commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The CBEL intervention was aimed...Read more »
Suite of tools for supporting and measuring change when working with people in different contexts.
An introductory guide that explains the principles underpinning social impact measurement and provides simple, practical guidance on how to approach it.
Information and resources, including the SROI Guide for organisations and initiatives considering undertaking a Social Return on Investment Analysis
A brief guide to how the Act is likely to change things and how it should work in practice.
Planning tool, outcomes framework and guidance developed by NIACE to support community learning providers to identify and capture the difference their work makes for learners and others.
Resource to support practitioners to capture changes in learners’ confidence levels as a result of participation in learning.
Leadership and GovernanceThis research report sets out the key achievements of the Community Learning Innovation Fund, which NIACE managed on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency in 2012-2013. The curricula, teaching and learning approaches, achievements and...Read more »
Includes presentations from Rochdale Community Champions and Age UK on their approaches to measuring the impact of volunteering.
This case study describes an approach to calculating value in ‘Pound Plus’ developed by Cheshire West and Chester Council that demonstrates the economic impact of the public pound on a local economy in addition to the...Read more »